Rifle target and frangible disk



9 Y M. D. VAN AUKEN 1,970,676

Patented Aug. 21, 1934 r orrrcs RIFLE TARGET AND FRANGIBLE DISK Marwood 1). Van Auken, New York, N. Y., assignor to Van-Au-Matie Rifle Target Co., Inc., a corporation of New York firiginal application January 9, 1929, Serial Na.

331,223. "Divided and this application Septemher 2, 1931, SerialNo. 560,735

4 Claims. .(oi. 124-45) This invention relates to rifle targets of light arms class, in which the target proper is provided with an automatically operated magazine for frangibletarget centres which are succes- 5 sively fed into bulls-eye position and with unobtrusive seats for holding the target centers or disks individually in concentric position relative to the target.

The main object of my invention is to provide a target of toe character with an automatically replaceable combination disk centre of a frangible ingredient which when hit by the bullet will brake or fragmentate into numerous pieces, radiating across the face of the target and resulting in a flash, spark, dust or smoke, which will afford an interesting display to the marksmen and spectators. It aims to provide a distinctive display that the bulls-eye has been hit, as viewed from the position of the marksman, that is at a considerable distance. It also provides that at the instant of fragmentation it will be replaced with a new disk, commonly known as a bulls eye.

The invention herein claimed. is a further development of my invention shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,723,826 granted August 6, 1929, which was pending when the original of this application was filed.

This divisional application relates to the target body, while in the original claims were retained relating in general to the frangible disk centres and in combination with such a target.

The target body provides means for support of a disk in combination with an automatic feed ,or magazine, and among its objects are the ad- 'vantageous support, a support providing for assured fragmentation when hit, and the advantageous control of the impinging bullets or slugs, avoidance of ricocheting, avoidance of interfering dispersal of the fragments with the approaching new disk, and penetration of the bullets to permit registration of hits back of the face of the target while the disk is initially supported in front of the face. Gther advantages and objects occurring from the novel and useful features involving my invention will hereinafter appear as this specification proceeds, and in the description of the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

, In the accompanying drawing illustrative of one form of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a target with the upper part of the disk magazine diagonally cut away showing a fragmentary view thereof.

r Fig. 2 is a front view of a target with the upper part of the disk magazine diagonally cut away with a view of the assembled target ready for target shooting. v i

In the embodiment illustrated, the target body 18 is adapted to support the frangible disk centre '7, commonly called a bulls eye, the positioning or locating of which on the face of the target is assured by the pair of pins 11-11, eachhaving aninwardly-extending lip slightly overreaching the periphery of the disk 7, as shown in Fig. 2, and cooperating with the lower extremity of the magazine covering forming a, lip 17 holding the upper edge of the disk.

On the target body, that is attached or formed with it is a .chute or magazine to hold the disks and feed these frangible centers or bulls eyes successively to the face of the target. The front wall of the magazine 10 consists of a heavy material to protect the disks against breakage by impact of bullets hitting wide of the bulls eye. The rear wall 1 may be of light material, and the side walls 9--9 may also be of light material. The lower end of the impact resisting front of the magazine forming the lip 17, cooperates with the pins or claws ll-11, as above set forth.

The members 12-12 act as rotating strengthening members orbraceaand may connect thetarget body 18 with an outer ring 3, or may simply spread, or be connected with any desired means to add any desired rigidity to the target body .18..

The disk '2 is made of very frangible material to assure the desired fragmentation upon impact of a bullet, and is yet rigid for the purpose of handling and feeding through the magazine, and for its temporary support as a bulls eye, and these disks may be made variously as set forth in my original application of which this is a division. In Fig. 1, '7 indicates a disk in the magazine between the side walls 9-9 and back of the protecting front 10, ready to drop into its position as the bulls eye, as shown at 7, Fig. 2.

On the target body 18 the annular high rim 4 cooperates with high points on members 66 and the high point 5 formed on the central portion,all of these high points providing a backing for the frangible disk '7 to assure its lateral fragmentation or dispersal, while the members 6-6 and the centre rigidly supported within the target body 18, are preferably beveled to obtain strength and to divert the passing bullet so that the bullet goes through the openings 2 passing to the rear of the target body, while the fragmented disk spreads laterally over the face of the target body, thus permitting the bullets to pass through after fracturing the bulls eye disk, the bullets may then enter a wood backing or other 1 10 suitable material to avoid ricocheting, and in any event to prevent the deflection of the bullets toward the disk magazine, while it also lessens the shock and vibration caused by the bullet impact. Furthermore, the passage of the bullet-to the rear affords a means of recording individual shots, which can be accomplished by placing a paper in back of the openings with suitable circles or other marking initially in registration with the centre of the target, thereby providing a means for record in addition to the ocular effect produced by the hitting of the fragmentary bulls eye disk. While the outer rim 3 is not essential, when used it is preferably slightly above, that is in advance of the face of the target body support of the disk, to serve as additional means to prevent ricocheting in any harmful direction.

While in the form illustrated the target body with its cooperating members and apertures permitting the disk on the front and the through passage of bullets, witha rigid centre and radiating members connecting the target body ring, many.

variations may be made Without departing from my invention, and stiffening members may be added to meet any particular conditions of support of the target as a whole under desired conditions of use.

The target as a whole may be hung up by means provided at the top and resting on a rigid fixed bolt 14 at the bottom, which may be on an extensicn of the target body proper, or an extension member such as 3, or any other suitable means for temporary rigid support of the target may be used. Thus with fixed targets, and particularly such as shown and described, the use of my con" struction and in combination with my frangible disks, provide great advantages in practical use for small arms target practice. In this sport or training the distance from the target makes necessary the distinguishing of the results of practice shooting, and the fixed target involves such characteristics as a relatively small bulls eye While various modifications may be made without departing from my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A target body for cooperation with successive frangible bulls-eye disks, with an outer rim and a' centre portion, said outer rim extending slightly beyond the plane of the centre portion in order to prevent the ricocheting of the bullets at the impact against the target face and having -means for feeding consecutive frangible disks to a bulls-eye position and to support said disks on the front face of the target, whereby they may be fragmented in front view and bullets on impact on the front face are prevented from ricocheting.

2. A body for a target of the character described, having openings in the target body to permit the passage of bullets hitting in the. vicinity of the bulls-eye, webs formed in said target body tapered from the front rearwardly, forward edges'of said webs adapted to form a supporting backing for a frangible bulls-eye disk, means to support such frangible bulls-eye disk on the front of the target against the front edges of said webs whereby the frangible bulls-eyes are fragmented visibly across the front of'the target and the bullets passing rearwardly through said openings.

3. A target as set forth in claim 2, having bullseye disk positioning-supports on the face of the target and having a magazine for bulls-eye disks supported in a manner whereby successive disks are fed to the bulls-eye position supports.

4. A target body for the use of frangible bullseye disks, having means to support successive disks in bulls-eye position on the face of the target, webs formed in said target body leaving openings to the rear of the frangible disk when supported in bulls-eye position and having the forward edges on said webs to constitute a backing for the frangible disk, whereby bullet impact on the disk causes fragmentation thereof visibly across the front of the target and permits the bullet to pass through the, target body to the rear, and a magazine associated with the target to feed successivedisks into bulls-eye supporting position.

MARWOOD D. VAN AUKEN. 

